Friday, January 26, 2007

Libby Trial Exposes Bungled Coverup of Another Lie

The Fictitious Yellow Cake (Uranium) from Niger

"Scooter" Libby's trial for perjury in the investigation about the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame revealed fascinating facts. Former vice presidential aide Cathy Martin's testimony left no doubt that Vice President Cheney was deeply involved in smearing former Ambassador Joseph Wilson because his report, after being sent to investigate Iraq's acquisition of uranium from Niger, proved embarrassing to the Bush Administration. Vice President Cheney micro-managed the efforts to contain the fallout. On the other side of the picture was the division between aides at the White House and the vice president's office.

Mr Wilson had been sent to Africa to investigate reports that Saddam Hussein was trying to buy uranium from Niger for his nuclear weapons programme. He reported back to the state department and the CIA that the reports were untrue, yet the claim surfaced in George Bush's state of the union speech in January, 2003.

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What the President said (after Ambassador Wilson had submitted his report) in his State of the Union address, January 28, 2003:

"The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production. Saddam Hussein has not credibly explained these activities. He clearly has much to hide."

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Ms Martin, currently employed in the White House, knew where the skeletons were buried and she did not hold back.

George Tenet, the Fall Guy. Maybe that explains the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

At length, Martin explained how she, Libby and deputy national security adviser Steve Hadley worked late into the night writing a statement to be issued by George Tenet in 2004 in which the CIA boss would take blame for the bogus claim in Bush's State of the Union address that Iraq was seeking nuclear material in Africa.

After "delicate" talks, Tenet agreed to say the CIA "approved" the claim and "I am responsible" -- but even that disappointed Martin, who had wanted Tenet to say that "we did not express any doubt about Niger."